1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to a utility usage payment service. More particularly, the present invention relates to an automated utility usage payment service for monitoring utility usage and for automatically initiating a credit transaction or a debit transaction to pay for the utility usage.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of utilities is an integral part of the lives of most individuals. That is, at most residences and businesses, utilities such as gas, water, and electricity are used, i.e., consumed. Each residence (or household) and business generally pays monthly bills for consumed utilities. A utility bill is typically generated by a utility provider after a “meter reader” manually records a utility reading from a meter located at a residence or a business. In some cases, a utility bill may be generated after an electronic meter reader provides a meter reading to the utility provider. Such electronic meter readings are typically transmitted to a receiving device that is carried by a meter reader who passes in proximity to meters on predetermined billing dates. The meter reader then returns the receiving device to the utility provider where readings received by the receiving device from electronic meter readings are processed. Electronic meter readers which are suitable for use in obtaining the amount of a utility that is consumed are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,804,957 and 5,767,790, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Once a utility bill is received by a consumer, the consumer must pay the utility bill or risk losing service from the utility provider.
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a conventional manual utility metering and payment system. A payment system 100 is arranged such that a person, i.e., a meter reader, visits a site 102 on the last day of a utility billing period in order to determine the amount of a utility that site 102 has consumed. Typically, the meter reader reads a meter 104 to gauge the amount of a utility which has been consumed at site 102, and relays the amount to the appropriate utility provider 108. For example, a meter reader who is working for a gas provider may read a meter 104a which tracks gas usage, a meter reader for an electricity provider may read a meter 104b which tracks electricity usage, and a meter reader for a water provider may read a meter 104c which tracks water usage. Alternatively, if meter 104 is associated with an electronic meter reader (not shown), then the electronic meter reader may electronically provide a meter reading to utility provider 108. Such an electronic meter reader may transmit a reading to a receiver device which is manually placed in proximity to the electronic meter reader by an individual when it is appropriate to obtain a reading.
Once utility provider 108 obtains a meter reading, utility provider 108 generates a bill 112 for utility consumption, and sends bill 112 to an appropriate customer, e.g., the responsible party for utility consumption at site 102. Once bill 112 is received by the appropriate customer, the customer then generally sends or delivers a check 116 to utility provider 108 in order to pay bill 112. It should be appreciated that in lieu of sending or delivering a check 116, a customer may also pay bill 112 using cash or a money order.
Upon receiving payment for bill 112, as for example in the form of check 116, utility provider 108 deposits check 116 at a bank 120. Utility provider 108 has an account 122 at bank 120, referred to herein as provider bank 120. Once utility provider 108 deposits check 116 at provider bank 120, provider bank 120 initiates a clearance and settlement process with a customer bank 126 on which check 116 is drawn. In other words, provider bank 120 and customer bank 126 (where the customer has an account 128) engage in a clearance and settlement process to ensure that utility payment funds from customer account 128 are effectively transferred to provider account 122.
As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, clearance and settlement of a check is generally time-consuming and often expensive. Further, the process of obtaining meter readings relating to utility usage and generating corresponding bills is costly to the utility provider as the utility provider must typically provide personnel to obtain meter readings and to generate bills. Since substantially every residence and business must be billed monthly for utility usage, the costs associated with obtaining meter readings and generating bills are quite significant to utility providers. For example, the annual cost of manual reading of utility meters is approximately $2.6 billion to $3.45 billion in the United States of America.
For a utility customer the payment of monthly utility bills may be an inconvenience. In addition, for some customers with little income, paying monthly utility bills may be a significant burden, if not impossible. When utility bills are not paid in a timely manner utility providers may discontinue service until outstanding payments are made.
Therefore, what is needed is an efficient utility payment service. Specifically, what is desired is a utility payment system which enables readings from utility meters to automatically cause payment for a utility to be made from a customer account such as a credit account or a debit account.